Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Feb. 18 said the city will no longer push through with the contract piggery farm it is working with Tuba, Benguet after town officials rejected the plan for the second time.
The mayor told the city management committee meeting that the city will instead look for other livelihood programs where they can infuse the P12 million grant from the Department of Agriculture initially reserved for the centralized farm to relocate urban hog raisers.
Talks between the two local government units failed just as the city was about to plan for the ground-breaking ceremonies after noting progress on the acceptability of the project among the residents of San Pascual barangay following a series of consultations and a farm visit in Tarlac and Pangasinan.
It was the second time that negotiations between Magalong and Tuba Mayor Clarita Sal-ongan broke down. The first involved another lot due to issues on land and water pollution, location, accessibility, ownership, additional funding, and other matters that cropped up in July last year.
Under the second deal, the lot owner at San Pascual already entered into a usufruct agreement with the city government to allow the use of the property for the DA-bankrolled modern piggery farm.
The mayor tasked City Veterinarian Brigit Piok whose office now includes the Agriculture Division to work out with the DA the possible realignment of the grant to other livelihood opportunities, possibly button mushroom production and other projects beneficial to the residents. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
April 20, 2024
